The controversy surrounding the fantastic profit of up to Rp2 trillion reaped by rice business players in a short period has triggered a strong reaction from parliament. The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Faction emphasized the importance of state presence to reorganize the food sector to be more supportive of the welfare of local farmers.
Member of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) from the PKS Faction, Riyono Caping, highlighted the clear inequality in the national food supply chain. According to him, farmers bear nearly 90 percent of the risk in the upstream sector when producing unhusked rice, but the abundant profits in the downstream sector are instead enjoyed by other parties.
Referring to Law Number 19 of 2013 on Farmer Protection, Riyono reminded that improving the living standards of farmers is the ultimate goal of the entire national agricultural process. He emphasized that the profit margins obtained by farmers must be proportional to their hard work and the working capital they expend.
The issue of rice business profits worth trillions of rupiah is deemed to injure the sense of social justice. Therefore, the PKS Faction encourages the House of Representatives (DPR) to immediately complete the revision of Food Law Number 18 of 2012, which is currently a legislative initiative, so that national food governance can be comprehensively restructured.
The regulatory improvement is considered urgent not only for the rice commodity but also for the other nine essential food items. With strong and binding rules, the state is expected to realize a healthy food ecosystem, where farmers prosper, business actors adhere to regulations, and the public gets affordable prices.
